I'm just spit ballin' here..do we even need IH35? (Dallas: university, tax)

[Komeht]

Its pretty insane that we have this freeway that splits central Austin off from the east. Its an engineering disaster, a traffic menace, a road no one seems to take and yet is always jammed with traffic and by every possible account is only going to get worse. Why not rip it up and stitch the city back together. Hear me out, this isn't crazy as it sounds.

First of all, how do we handle existing traffic? Using a highly scientific approach of taking wild ass guesses, I think you could do it like this:

1. Starting in San Antonio, re-route northbound through traffic onto 130. 130 is signed to be IH35 East - I guess that's 20% of existing northbound traffic going though central Austin.

2. In Buda, again re-route northbound through traffic onto 45 bypass. Begin toll on IH35 West. Maybe another 20% take this option to avoid the tolls.

3. At 71, IH 35 W is direct around downtown onto 183N. All non local traffic is directed onto 71-183 bypass. That's another 20%.

4. Local traffic exits IH35 west onto East Blvd. A Blvd. can handle about 20% of traffic as IH35.

5. former IH35, now East Blvd, is converted into a wide grand tree lined blvd in European tradition that travels on the surface. Run a local light rail in dedicated north bound and south bound traffic lanes right up the spine of Austin from 71 in south Austin to 183 in north Austin. Rail would absorb the remaining traffic from former IH35.

6. At the Former IH 35 split rip out the upper deck. Keep the lower deck as a local bypass with no exits between MLK and 51st. Continue East Blvd. right on top of the lower deck bypass straight up to 290.

7. Zone the enitre expanse of East Avenue between 71 and 183 VMU with the only height restrictions being the existing CVCs. Stitch the grid back together, get rid of those ugly ass ribs on the overpass at 6th and 7th.

8. At 183, East Blvd merges onto IH35 W, toll road begins again.

9. In Round Rock 45 brings back local northbound traffic. North of Georgetown IH 35E and IH35W merge. Toll road ends.

Southbound traffic would be similar but reversed.

There's no reason this can't be done. It just takes the political will. Sure there would be some projects to make it work and some engineering challenges, but nothing extraordinary. The tolls should be sufficient to pay for the necessary bonds. There could not be a simpler or more convenient rail plan than this, ridership on this route would be off the charts and building something like this wold be relatively compared to building rail up Guadalupe/Lamar.

[cBach]

I actually think your plan has merit.

[passionatearts]

Originally Posted by Komeht

There's no reason this can't be done. It just takes the political will.

Yeah, that and several billion dollars.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by passionatearts

Yeah, that and several billion dollars.

Most of the infrastructure necessary is already in place or paid for. Cap Metro already has its tax to pay for light rail, it's going somewhere...this would be ideal starting point. There would be sections that would need to be redesigned, perhaps some expansion of the ROW along 183, all of which would be infinitely easier and cheaper that raising capacity on the existing IH35. Stitching the City grid bak together would reap enormous collateral benefits and opening up a huge swath of land for dense VMU development immediate adjacent to the CBD, the state and the University would have an enormously positive impact on the city's tax base. Tolling IH35 would easily pay for the rest.

[Eastcoasting]

Wait!

Why tear it down and spend all that money? I'm thinking an aqueduct or Austin's version of High Line Park.

For those of you unfamiliar:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Line_(New_York_City)

[ScoPro]

Excellent plan IMO, except add the "burial" of I-35 West from Holly Street to 45 in Round Rock - much like the North Central Tollway is in Dallas (and how 635 is currently being expanded). Include wide, park-like pedestrian overpasses to reconnect East Austin with downtown.

Funding? Just have Bernanke & the Fed print up a few billion in air dollars - chump change these days.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by Eastcoasting

Wait!

Why tear it down and spend all that money? I'm thinking an aqueduct or Austin's version of High Line Park.

For those of you unfamiliar:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Line_(New_York_City)

Im very familiar with the High Line having walked the length of it recently. Its is cool, but entirely privately funded and on much less imposing infrastructure than the upper deck of IH35. It would probably cost 5X what the HighLine cost and not have the same benefits.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

Excellent plan IMO, except add the "burial" of I-35 West from Holly Street to 45 in Round Rock - much like the North Central Tollway is in Dallas (and how 635 is currently being expanded). Include wide, park-like pedestrian overpasses to reconnect East Austin with downtown.

Funding? Just have Bernanke & the Fed print up a few billion in air dollars - chump change these days.

Overpasses in central Austin wouldn't be necessary as East would run on the surface and include cross streets

[Eastcoasting]

Originally Posted by Komeht

Im very familiar with the High Line having walked the length of it recently. Its is cool, but entirely privately funded and on much less imposing infrastructure than the upper deck of IH35. It would probably cost 5X what the HighLine cost and not have the same benefits.

Ok let's go with elevated kayak line.

Laser tag?

[ScoPro]

BTW - We drove down 130 yesterday to the airport to meet a 4:30pm flight. The tollway traffic was fairly heavy, although not bumper to bumper. Even saw a lot of 18 wheelers.

I-35 in Round Rock was a parking lot.

We will be using 130 all the way down to I-10 by Seguin on Thursday for our Alamo Bowl weekend trip.